A research team has made a significant finding that sheds new light on dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). The team was led by Associate Professor Ayako Okado-Matsumoto from the Department of Biology at Toho University in collaboration with Professor Ryuji Sakakibara from the Department of Neurology at Sakura Medical Center, and Professors Hitoshi Nukada and Soroku Yagihashi from the Department of Exploratory Medicine on Nature, Life and Man at Toho University.
The team discovered a notable change in a specific protein found in the blood of patients with DLB. Their research revealed that individuals with DLB have significantly lower levels of α-synuclein in their red blood cells, compared to healthy individuals and patients with other neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. α-synuclein is a protein known to play a role in the development of several neurodegenerative disorders when it accumulates abnormally in brain cells.
This finding may contribute to improving the diagnosis of DLB, which is often difficult to detect at an early stage. The possibility of developing a simple blood-based biomarker for early detection could offer meaningful benefits for both patients and their families.
The research findings were published online in The Journal of Biochemistry on April 16, 2025.
More information:
Ryosuke Amagai et al, The potential of erythrocyte α-synuclein to differentiate dementia with Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, The Journal of Biochemistry (2025). DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvaf017
Citation:
Blood test shows promise for early dementia with Lewy Bodies diagnosis (2025, June 26)
retrieved 26 June 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-blood-early-dementia-lewy-bodies.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
A research team has made a significant finding that sheds new light on dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). The team was led by Associate Professor Ayako Okado-Matsumoto from the Department of Biology at Toho University in collaboration with Professor Ryuji Sakakibara from the Department of Neurology at Sakura Medical Center, and Professors Hitoshi Nukada and Soroku Yagihashi from the Department of Exploratory Medicine on Nature, Life and Man at Toho University.
The team discovered a notable change in a specific protein found in the blood of patients with DLB. Their research revealed that individuals with DLB have significantly lower levels of α-synuclein in their red blood cells, compared to healthy individuals and patients with other neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. α-synuclein is a protein known to play a role in the development of several neurodegenerative disorders when it accumulates abnormally in brain cells.
This finding may contribute to improving the diagnosis of DLB, which is often difficult to detect at an early stage. The possibility of developing a simple blood-based biomarker for early detection could offer meaningful benefits for both patients and their families.
The research findings were published online in The Journal of Biochemistry on April 16, 2025.
More information:
Ryosuke Amagai et al, The potential of erythrocyte α-synuclein to differentiate dementia with Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, The Journal of Biochemistry (2025). DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvaf017
Citation:
Blood test shows promise for early dementia with Lewy Bodies diagnosis (2025, June 26)
retrieved 26 June 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-blood-early-dementia-lewy-bodies.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
